We congratulate our parishioner Ludmilla Borisevna on her nameday as we celebrate the feast of her heavenly patron, praying that God will grant her Many Blessed Years!
Многая и благая лтѣа!
The Holy Martyr Ludmilla, a Czech (Bohemian) princess, was married to the Czech prince Borivoy. Both spouses received holy Baptism from Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Enlightener of the Slavs (Comm. 11 May).
As Christians, they showed concern for the enlightening of their subjects with the light of the true Faith, they built churches and invited priests to celebrate the divine services. Prince Borivoy died early at age 36. Saint Ludmilla, as a widow, led an austere, pious life and continued to be concerned for the Church during the reign of her son Bratislav, which lasted for 33 years.
Bratislav was married to Dragomira, with whom he had a son, Vyacheslav. After the death of Bratislav, eighteen-year-old Vyacheslav came on the throne. Taking advantage of the inexperience and youth of her son, Dragomira began to introduce pagan manners and customs in the country.
Saint Ludmilla, of course, opposed this. Dragomira came to hate her mother-in-law and tried to destroy her. When Saint Ludmilla moved away to the city of Techin, Dragomira sent two boyars in secret to murder her. Saint Ludmilla was praying at the time, and the two assassins entered the house and carried out Dragomira’s orders.
The relics of the holy Martyr Ludmilla was buried in Techin in the city wall. Numerous healings occurred at her grave. Prince Vyacheslav transferred the body of Saint Ludmilla to the city of Prague and placed it in the church of Saint George.
Greetings as we celebrate the Exultation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
On this festal day, let each of us embrace the Cross – both physically and spiritually – and contemplate its meaning in our lives.
The Cross should not simply be exalted in the liturgical rites and feasts of the Church, but in our daily lives as those have been sealed with the sign of the Cross in the Mysteries of our baptism and chrismation.
Every day should be our personal Exultation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross: exalted by our prayers, our actions, our thoughts, and even by the movements of our heart, soul and mind… yet so often we are like the iconoclasts, God-hating Bolsheviks and infidels who trampled upon the Cross; so often, we are hypocrites, constantly making the sign of the cross, wearing it around our necks, kissing it in Church, praying before it in our icon-corners, yet disparaging it by the sinful-rebellion and neglect of our lives.
With every cruel or thoughtless deed and word; by every act of judgment and condemnation; in every selfish rejection and insensitivity to our neighbour; in our neglect of those in need; through every impurity of mind, sense and body; through neglect of prayer and fasting; and in everything that opposes the Holy Gospel, we trample upon the Cross.
As the sign of Christ’s obedience to the will of the Father, even unto the death of the Cross; as the realisation of Christ’s sacrificial love for the world; as the physical manifestation of Christ’s selfless willingness to deny Himself for the sake of all – the Cross must manifest Christ’s obedience and selfless, sacrificial-love in our lives, through our willingness to embrace it as the sign and summation of what it means to be a Christian in deed, not simply in name.
So let us exult the Cross by loving the Lord with our whole heart and mind and soul, and by selflessly loving our neighbour with patience, tolerance and understanding; let us exalt the Cross by putting God and all others before ourselves; let us exalt the Cross by the sobriety and watchfulness of our lives; let us exalt the Cross by struggling to be pure, patient humble; let us exalt the Cross in worship, prayer, fasting and the ascetic-feat of the Christian life; let us exalt the Cross by our repentance and the struggle for holiness; in short, let us exalt the Cross by reflecting its every meaning in our lives.
Then the Saviour’s victory, by which Hell was shattered and the devil defeated, will become real in our lives, even though we are weak and feeble.
Then the Cross will be our strength, our sign of hope, and our invincible weapon – not simply an ornament that hangs around our necks.
It is in this joyful knowledge, as Christ’s children who have been baptised into the mystery of the Cross, that we can approach the Cross with confidence, embrace it and say:
“Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Him flee from before His face. As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of them that love God and who sign themselves with the sign of the Cross and say in gladness: Rejoice, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for Thou drivest away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on thee, Who went down to hades and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us thee, His precious Cross, for the driving away of every adversary. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me together with the holy Lady Virgin Theotokos, and with all the saints, unto the ages. Amen.”
The Canon of the Cross, the acrostic whereof is: “Having arrayed myself in the Cross, I give utterance to hymnody”; The composition of Cosmas of Maiuma, in Tone VIII:
Ode I, Irmos: Inscribing the invincible weapon of the Cross upon the waters, * Moses marked a straight line before him with his staff * and divided the Red Sea, * opening a path for Israel who went over dry-shod. * Then he marked a second line across the waters * and united them in one, * overwhelming the chariots of Pharaoh. * Therefore let us sing to Christ our God, * for He hath been glorified.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Of old, Moses, standing between the priests, prefigured in himself the image of Christ’s most pure sufferings; for, forming a cross with his outstretched arms, he raised up victory, vanquishing the might of the tyrant Amalek. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Of old, Moses, standing between the priests, prefigured in himself the image of Christ’s most pure sufferings; for, forming a cross with his outstretched arms, he raised up victory, vanquishing the might of the tyrant Amalek. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Upon a pole Moses set the cure of the deadly and venomous sting of the serpents, and the deliverance therefrom; for to the tree, in the image of the Cross, he bound a serpent which crawleth upon the ground, triumphing over the sinister bane therein. Wherefore, let us hymn Christ God, for He hath been glorified.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The sky showed forth the victory of the Cross to the divinely wise Emperor Constantine, the pious ruler; and therein the audacity of the hostile foe was cast down, delusion was destroyed and the divine Faith spread to the ends of the earth. Wherefore let us hymn Christ our God, for He hath been glorified.
Ode III, Irmos: The rod of Aaron is an image of this mystery, * for when it budded it showed who should be priest. * So in the Church, that once was barren, * the wood of the Cross hath now budded forth, * filling her with strength and steadfastness.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
The rough stone, struck, put forth water for a disobedient and hard-hearted people, and showed forth the mystery of the divinely elect Church, whereof the Cross is the might and confirmation.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
The rough stone, struck, put forth water for a disobedient and hard-hearted people, and showed forth the mystery of the divinely elect Church, whereof the Cross is the might and confirmation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
When Christ’s most pure side was pierced by the spear, blood and water flowed therefrom, renewing the covenant and washing sin away, for the Cross is the boast of the faithful, the might and confirmation of kings.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
When Christ’s most pure side was pierced by the spear, blood and water flowed therefrom, renewing the covenant and washing sin away, for the Cross is the boast of the faithful, the might and confirmation of kings.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel. “Go thou quickly before …”: Rejoicing in thee, O thrice blessed and life-bestowing Cross, the people celebrate together with the immaterial choirs, the ranks of hierarchs reverently hymn thee, multitudes of monastics and fasters bow down before thee in adoration, and we all glorify Christ Who was crucified on thee.
Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Of old, Moses transformed the bitter springs in the desert with a tree, showing forth the conversion of the gentiles to piety through the Cross
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Jordan, having hidden in its depths an axe-head, gave it forth again through the power of a stick, signifying the cutting off of deception by the Cross and baptism.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In a sacred manner the people encamped in four divisions; and preceding in this fashion the tabernacle of the witness, they were glorified in the cross-like formation of their ranks.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Wondrously stretched forth, the Cross emitted rays like the sun’s, and the heavens declared the glory of our God.
Ode V, Irmos: O thrice-blessed Tree, on which Christ the king and Lord was stretched! * Through thee the beguiler fell, * who tempted mankind with the tree. * He was caught in the trap set by God, * who was crucified upon thee in the flesh, * granting peace unto our souls.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
O ever-hymned Tree, whereon Christ was stretched: the whirling sword which guarded Eden stood in awe of thee, O Cross, and the dread cherubim withdrew, when Christ was nailed to thee, Who granteth peace unto our souls.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
O ever-hymned Tree, whereon Christ was stretched: the whirling sword which guarded Eden stood in awe of thee, O Cross, and the dread cherubim withdrew, when Christ was nailed to thee, Who granteth peace unto our souls.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The adverse powers of the nether world are stricken with fear when the sign of the Cross is traced in the air in which they live, as are the generations of the earthborn and the heavenly, who bend the knee to Christ, Who granteth peace unto our souls.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having shone forth a divine light and revealed itself in rays of incorruption unto the darkened gentiles astray in error, the divine Cross acquireth them for Christ Who was nailed thereto, and granteth peace unto our souls.
Ode VI, Irmos: Jonah stretched out his hands in the form of a cross * within the belly of the sea monster, * plainly prefiguring the redeeming Passion. * Cast out from thence after three days, * he foreshadowed the marvelous Resurrection of Christ our God, * who was crucified in the flesh and enlightened the world * by His Rising on the third day.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Bent with age and weighed down with infirmity, Jacob drew himself up when he crossed his arms, showing forth the power of the life-bearing Cross; for God Who was nailed in the flesh hath set aright the obsolescence of the law of the Scripture which was written in shadows, and dispelled the soul-destroying disease of deception.
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Bent with age and weighed down with infirmity, Jacob drew himself up when he crossed his arms, showing forth the power of the life-bearing Cross; for God Who was nailed in the flesh hath set aright the obsolescence of the law of the Scripture which was written in shadows, and dispelled the soul-destroying disease of deception.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Divine Jacob, in laying his hands cross-wise upon the heads of the youths, revealed that those serving under the law give precedence to the firstborn. Wherefore, when he suspected he had erred in laying his hands cross-wise, he did not alter the life- bearing image, for the newly established people of Christ God, protected by the Cross, shall have precedence over those under the law.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Divine Jacob, in laying his hands cross-wise upon the heads of the youths, revealed that those serving under the law give precedence to the firstborn. Wherefore, when he suspected he had erred in laying his hands cross-wise, he did not alter the life- bearing image, for the newly established people of Christ God, protected by the Cross, shall have precedence over those under the law.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion of the Cross, in Tone IV: O Thou Who wast lifted up willingly upon the Cross, * bestow Thy mercies upon the new community named after Thee, * O Christ God; gladden with Thy power Orthodox Christians, * granting them victory over enemies; ** may they have as Thy help the invincible trophy, the weapon of peace.
Ikos: He who was caught up to the third heaven of paradise and heard unspeakable and divine words which the human tongue cannot utter, what writeth he to the Galatians, which, as lovers of the Scriptures, ye have both read and come to understand? God forbid, saith he, that I should glory, save only in the Cross of the Lord, whereon having suffered He slew the passions. Let us all then firmly hold this boast, the Cross of the Lord; for this Wood is our salvation, the invincible trophy, the weapon of peace.
Ode VII, Imos: The senseless decree of the wicked tyrant, * breathing forth threats and blasphemy hateful to God, * confused the people. * Yet neither the fury of the wild beast nor the roaring of the fire * could frighten the three Children: * but standing together in the flame, * fanned by the wind that brought refreshment as the dew, they sang: * ‘Blessed and supremely praised art Thou, * O our God and the God of our fathers.’
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
The first man, tasting of the tree, went to dwell in corruption; for, having condemned himself to a shameful banishment from life, he imparted corruption to the whole race of mankind. But we mortals, finding restoration through the tree of the Cross, cry aloud: O supremely hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Breaking the commandment of God came about through disobedience, and the untimely partaking of the fruit of the tree brought death to mankind, but to preserve that which is most precious, access to the tree of life was forbidden, until God opened it to the suffering thief who with a proper understanding cried aloud: O supremely hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
Breaking the commandment of God came about through disobedience, and the untimely partaking of the fruit of the tree brought death to mankind, but to preserve that which is most precious, access to the tree of life was forbidden, until God opened it to the suffering thief who with a proper understanding cried aloud: O supremely hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Israel, foreseeing things to come, laid hold of the tip of Joseph’s staff, revealing beforehand that the most glorious Cross would seize the power of the kingdom, for it is the victorious boast of kings and a light for those who cry aloud with faith: O supremely hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Israel, foreseeing things to come, laid hold of the tip of Joseph’s staff, revealing beforehand that the most glorious Cross would seize the power of the kingdom, for it is the victorious boast of kings and a light for those who cry aloud with faith: O supremely hymned God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Irmos: O children equal in number to the Trinity: * bless ye God, the Father and Creator; * hymn ye the Word Who came down * and transformed the fire into dew; * and supremely exalt ye Him Who giveth life unto all, * the most holy Spirit, * throughout the ages!
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
O hosts of heaven, chant ye to the exalted Tree which was drenched in the blood of the incarnate Word of God, and celebrate the restoration of those born on earth. O Ye people, worship the Cross of Christ, by which the world hath been granted the resurrection throughout all ages!
Glory to Thy Precious Cross, O Lord.
O hosts of heaven, chant ye to the exalted Tree which was drenched in the blood of the incarnate Word of God, and celebrate the restoration of those born on earth. O Ye people, worship the Cross of Christ, by which the world hath been granted the resurrection throughout all ages!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
O ye mortal stewards of grace, with your hands reverently raise on high the Cross whereon Christ God stood and the spear which pierced the body of God the Word, that all the nations may see the salvation which is of God, glorifying Him throughout all ages!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O faithful Christian kings, forechosen by divine decree, be ye glad! And having received from God the precious Cross, rejoice in it, the weapon of victory, for thereby tribes of enemy warriors seeking to make battle have been scattered throughout all ages.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-honored Cross of the Lord!
Ode IX, Irmos: O Theotokos, thou art a mystical Paradise, * who untilled brought forth Christ. * by Whom the life-giving Tree of the Cross hath been planted upon the earth: * Therefore celebrating its exaltation on this day, * Him do we worship * and thee do we magnify.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-honored Cross of the Lord!
Let all the trees of the forests rejoice, for their nature hath been sanctified by Him Who planted them in the beginning – Christ Who was stretched out upon the Tree. Wherefore, worshiping it as it is now raised aloft, we magnify thee, O Theotokos.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-honored Cross of the Lord!
A sacred horn hath been lifted up, the chief horn for all the divinely wise: the Cross, whereby all the horns of the sinful are noetically broken asunder. Wherefore, worshiping it as it is now raised aloft, we magnify thee, O Theotokos.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the all-honored Cross of the Lord!
That Thou mayest show the Cross, the invincible weapon, to the world, O adored Lord and King, in the sight of all Thou didst form its most glorious image in the skies, radiant with boundless light. Wherefore, all the powers of heaven magnify Thee.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the exaltation of the life-creating Cross of the Lord!
Second canon, Ode IX, Irmos: Today the death that came to man through eating of the tree, * is made of no effect through the Cross. * For the curse of our Mother Eve * that fell on all mankind * is destroyed by the fruit of the pure Mother of God, * whom all the powers of heaven magnify.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the exaltation of the life-creating Cross of the Lord!
Thou didst not permit the murderous bitterness of the tree to remain, O Lord, for thou didst utterly destroy it by the Cross. Wherefore, by a tree Thou didst once sweeten the bitterness of the waters of Marah, prefiguring the activity of the Cross, which all the hosts of heaven magnify.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the exaltation of the life-creating Cross of the Lord!
Today Thou hast raised up by the Cross those who remain continually mired in the darkness of our forefather, O Lord; for though our nature was humbled through deceit and an exceeding lack of restraint, the light of Thy Cross hath again guided all of us aright, which we, the faithful magnify.
Refrain: Magnify, O my soul, the exaltation of the life-creating Cross of the Lord!
That Thou mightest reveal to the world the image of the Cross venerated among all, O Lord, Thou didst trace its outline in the heavens, in that it is most glorious, radiant with boundless light: the invincible weapon for the emperor. Wherefore, all the hosts of heaven magnify Thee.
Yesterday evening, it was a joy to hear from Alexander and George, who have been greatly blessed on their pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain, in the sacred monasteries of Docheiariou and St Panteleimon.
In Docheiariou, they had the great privilege of venerating the icon of the Mother of God ‘Quick to Hear’ and receiving the speedy help of the Theotokos in solving accommodation problems, whilst in the Russikon they were able to venerate the skull of the Holy Great-Martyr and Healer, Panteleimon, the beloved heavenly patron of the cenobium.
The messages from our young men make clear how much God’s Grace and love has touched them, and how much they have felt His Presence. Glory to God!
I was very happy to see the photographs of the felines of the Holy Mountain, especially to see George fussing them and giving them devout attention!
May He grant our young pilgrims abundant Grace and mercies in the days ahead, as they visit so many more holy places.
I must start by stressing that I am being sensible and relaxing, and doing nothing to aggravate either blood pressure or the parishioners who are rightly watching the rector until blood pressure lowers!
However, with my feet up, with a cup of herbal tea and the Penguin ‘Complete Father Brown’ next to me, listening to Buxtehude’s organ works, I must express customary thanks for all who supported today’s service.
I instinctively went to type ‘today’s Liturgy’, even though Liturgy was not possible due to health issues, and must admit that celebrating the Hours and Typika, with Holy Communion from the reserved Holy Gifts, felt extremely strange. However, by the time I came to the homily, it was obvious to me that this was the only course today could have possibly taken, other than to cancel the service. Compared to last Sunday evening, when I felt quite unwell, I feel much better and relaxed, having not overexerted myself.
We have a fair number of parishioners away at the moment, and we keep those travelling in our prayers – especially our young pilgrims, Oswald, Alexander and George, also our trustee Peter, enjoying a break with his wife, Anne. It was very odd to have so many familiar faces missing, and we look forward to our parishioners’ return.
Many thanks to our singers/readers for adapting, last minute, and to those who stayed to help at the afternoon baptism, though I didn’t expect this. Help was greatly appreciated.
It was a joy to baptise little Ronald-Pavel, and to welcome his family and sponsors Pavlos and Marc. Although little Ronnie was not very happy going into the font, he took an amazing interest in so much of the service for such a young child, especially in incense and candles, and we compared our crosses at the end of the service. We look forward to blessing his family home and his Holy Communion in the next few weeks. May God grant Ronald-Pavel and his sponsors many, blessed years!
For me, the week ahead, will be one of rest, with lots of prayer and reading, and I will not be in Cardiff until Saturday to hear confessions, asking for your requests by Wednesday 22:00 so that we can arrange times and venue.
I suspect that next Sunday will also see the celebration of the Hours and Typika with Holy Communion, though I hope that improvement in blood pressure might make Liturgy possible. However, though a natural optimist, that seems doubtful.
Let’s all pray with fervour, trusting on God’s healing power, and be flexible for a while.
Greetings for the Feast of St Silouan the Athonite!
Before we gather to celebrate the Leave-Taking of the Nativity of the Mother of God tomorrow, I would like to forewarn you that unless my blood pressure is dramatically lower, we will NOT be celebrating the Liturgy, but rather distributing Holy Communion after the Hours and Typika (Obednitsa).
The unavoidable reality is that my high-blood pressure potentially makes the celebration of the Liturgy impossible.
I felt extremely unwell last Sunday night, at the end of a long day (as Sundays always are), but characteristically ignored it once the week progressed. However, I felt alarmingly unwell on my return from Cardiff last night, and together with the way I felt on getting up this morning it made it obvious that Liturgy may not be possible this weekend, and possibly over the next two or three weeks.
Since taking over from Fr Vitaly, I have only missed Liturgy when I had covid, despite juggling the parish with demanding full-time work for five difficult years, but now is different. I have to face the facts, and until medication and treatment manages the situation, we will have ALL to be flexible, adapt and to face this unpleasant but unavoidable reality, continuing parish life in a slightly different way over the next month.
I ask parishioners to be understanding and to only telephone me out of absolute necessity as I try to rest over the next few weeks. So, if possible, email with any needs that may not be able to wait. My movements will also be limited, as six hours a day on public transport with no time to eat normal meals is not tenable.
Asking your prayers, and happy that our young men are praying for us all on the Holy Mountain…
What is Confession? Confession is the oral avowal of one’s sins which lie heavy upon the conscience. Repentance cleanses the soul and makes it ready to receive the Holy Spirit, but confession, so to speak, only empties the soul of sins.
Let us present a simple analogy and comparison to confession. For example, suppose you had only one vessel of some kind, which you through negligence or laziness let reach a stage where little by little it accumulated all sorts of dirt so that your vessel became not only unusable but even unbearable to look at without repugnance.
But what if a king wanted to give you as a gift some sort of fragrant and precious balm, one drop of which could heal all infirmities and protect – what then? Would you refuse such a valuable gift only because you had no other clean vessel in which to put it? No! It would be very natural for you to accept such a gift and you would try to clean your vessel. How would you begin to clean your vessel? No doubt, before anything else, you would rid it of all uncleanness; you would begin by washing it with water and, perhaps would even burn it out so that it no longer retained any of its former odors. Isn’t that so?
Now let the vessel represent the soul given to you by God, which you have brought to such a state that it has been filled with all kinds of transgression and iniquities; let the sweet-smelling balm, given by the king, signify the Holy Spirit, Who heals all infirmities and afflictions, Whom the King of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ, freely bestows upon us.
To examine your vessel signifies feeling your guilt before God and recalling all sins, which have stolen into your heart.
To clean out the vessel typifies the confession of your sins before your spiritual father, and washing with water and burning with fire signifies a sincere and even tearful repentance and a voluntary resolve to endure all unpleasantness, needs, afflictions, misfortunes, and even calamities that befall us.
Now tell me: Is Confession profitable or needful? Certainly it is profitable and even essential; because, just as it is impossible to cleanse a vessel without ridding it of all uncleanness, so it is impossible to purge your soul of sins without confession.
But tell me, is confession alone enough for the reception of the Holy Spirit? Certainly not, because in order to receive the sweet-smelling and precious balm into a defiled vessel it is not enough to just empty it, but it is necessary to wash it with water and refine it with fire. Just so, in order to receive the Holy Spirit, it is not enough just to confess or recite your sins before a spiritual father, but it is necessary together with this to purge your soul with repentance or contrition and grief of soul, and burn it out with voluntary endurance of afflictions. So then, this is what confession and repentance mean!
What does a true and correct confession consist of?
When we wish to cleanse our conscience of sins in the Mystery of Repentance: Before everything else it is necessary to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and firmly hope that He is ready to forgive all sins, no matter of what magnitude, if only the sinner repents open-heartedly; it is necessary to believe and hope that the God of all wants and seeks our return.
Of this He assures us through the prophet thus: “As I live, saith the Lord,” i. e., I assure and swear by My life, “In desiring I do not desire”, i.e., I do not at all desire, “the death of a sinner, but entirely desire his conversion.”
It is necessary to have a broken heart. Who is God? And who are we? God is the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth; He is the awful and righteous Judge. And we? We are weak and insignificant mortals. All people, even the greatest people, are less than dust before God, and we can never imagine how disgusting to God is any sin and how any transgression offends Him.
And we, insignificant and weak, we mortals endlessly benefited by our God, dare to offend Him – the All-Good One? Oh! This is so horrible! We are such debtors before God, such transgressors, that not only should we not dare to call ourselves His children, but are not even worthy of being His lowliest servants.
Therefore, picturing all this, you see what contriteness, what lamentation it is necessary to have then, when we want to purge ourselves of sins. And such a feeling must be had not only before confession and during confession, but also after confession. And even more important, do you want to offer a sacrifice to God such as will be acceptable to Him? Naturally we all gladly want this and as far as possible we offer it. But what can we offer Him really acceptable? A broken heart. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled, here is an offering to God more priceless than all offerings and oblations!
It is necessary to forgive all our enemies and offenders all the harmful and offensive things they have done to us. Forgiveness—what does it mean to forgive? To forgive means never to avenge, neither secretly nor openly; never to recall wrongs but rather to forget them and, above all, to love your enemy as a friend, a brother, as a comrade; to protect his honor and to treat him right-mindedly in all things. This is what it means to forgive.
And who agrees that this is difficult? So, it is a hard matter to forgive wrongs, but he who can forgive wrongs is for this reason great – truly great, both before God and before man. Yes, it is a hard matter to forgive your enemies; but it is necessary to forgive, otherwise God Himself will not forgive. Jesus Christ said: If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your trespasses. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you yours.
On the contrary to this, though you pray to God every hour, though you have such faith that you can move mountains, even though you give away all of your belongings to the needy, and give your body to be burned, if you do not practice forgiveness and do not wish to forgive your enemy, then all is in vain, for in such circumstances neither prayer, nor faith, nor charity, will save you, in short, nothing will save you.
But if it is needful to forgive our enemies, so likewise it is indispensable to ask also forgiveness of those people whom we have offended. Thus, if you have offended anyone by word, ask forgiveness of him, come and bow down at his feet and say, “Forgive me.” Have you offended by deed? Endeavor to expiate your guilt and offenses and recompense his damage, then be certain that all of your sins, no matter how heavy they be, will be forgiven you.
It is necessary to reveal your sins properly and without any concealment. Some say, “For what reason should I reveal my sins to Him Who knows all of our secrets?” Certainly God knows all of our sins, but the Church, which has the power from God to forgive and absolve sins, cannot know them, and for this reason She cannot, without confession, pronounce Her absolution.
Finally, it is necessary to set forth a firm intention to live prudently in the future. If you want to be in the kingdom of heaven, if you want God to forgive your sins – then stop sinning! Only on this condition does the Church absolve the penitent of his sins. And he who does not think at all about correcting himself confesses in vain, labors in vain, for even if the priest says, “I forgive and absolve,” the Holy Spirit does not forgive and absolve him!
From Orthodox Life, vol. 38, no. 4 (July-August, 1988), pp. 20-22.
All is busy in Llanelli, where Father Luke, son-in-law Simeon, and Simeon’s brother Raphael have been flooring the pritvor of the garden chapel.
In it’s first incarnation in the mid 90’s, a small chapel dedicated to St David and St Nicholas was created using a little summer house with a verandah, but over the years it has grown in height, width and length, with little (if any) of the original structure surviving.
Reader services had originally been celebrated in the home icon-corner, but Father Luke’s ordination brought the need for a small sanctuary, where Liturgy could be celebrated.
In the years since, during which the chapel has grown, the whole round of Orthodox services, fasts and feasts have been celebrated, as well as baptisms and weddings, and the garden chapel has welcomed the Kursk-Root icon of the Mother of God.
In its garden setting, the homely little chapel has been very popular with everyone, especially those from rural Russia, Ukraine and Romania.
We now look forward to the completion of the icons of the Saviour and Mother of God, which are being painted for the ikonostasis. Watch this space!
In the meantime, Chi-Chi greatly resents her peace and quiet being shattered by men with saws and hammers! Feline old age is meant to be all about sleeping, forgetfulness and treats.
As we celebrate the synaxis of the Holy Forebears of God, Joachim and Anna, we wish Jessica-Anne a grace-filled and joyous nameday, and send our greetings to Peter’s wife, Anne.
We pray that the Lord may bless them abundantly, and grant them many, blessed years!
Kontakion of Saints Joachim and Anna in Tone II: Anna now having broken the bond of barrenness; and she nurtureth the all-pure one, calling upon all to hymn the One Who through her womb hath given unto men the only Mother who knew not man.
We have just returned from London, at the end of a very joyful, but very long day, celebrating the altar-feast of our cathedral on this feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
As Bishop Irenei was unable to lead the celebrations due to the ongoing session of the Holy Synod, convened to elect our new First-Hierarch, Archpriest Paul our chancellor stood in his place heading the concelebration with the cathedral clergy, our ever-joyful Father Spasimir from Norwich, Father Joseph from the Patriarchal Cathedral and Father Goran from the Serbian parish.
Following the Liturgy, the assembled clergy and faithful celebrated a krestny khod, processing around the cathedral whilst chanting the moleben to the Mother of God in honour of her Nativity, bearing banners, crosses, candles and icons, with the faithful blessed with an generous volume of holy water.
Trapeza welcomed cathedral parishioners and visitors from other parishes (with a few of our Cardiff parishioners) for a wonderful meal, with musical offerings from some of the young people, including our own Aldhelm, who was eager to take his turn at the piano.
It was a joy to catch up with friends, and to have time with our fellow clergy, and – as always – Deacon Mark and I would like to thank the cathedral clergy, staorosta Vera Alexandrovna, and the parish sisterhood for their immense kindness and hospitality.
